Blogging

I haven't been posting much...really.

But I have discovered that I enjoy cooking, inventing, something for my family, and it seems that I enjoy cooking more.

David sees that in me anyway.

So I hope you are enjoying it too!

Seared Pork Chops with Provolone, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction with Mushrooms and Onions

I had this pork loin...had not a clue what to do with it...should I make some sort of stir fry? No...

I start cutting the loin, and out comes these beautiful chops.



I decided to look around, and I found white button mushrooms, and some yellow onions, provolone cheese...and so...I chopped the onions, sliced the mushrooms...


Put some olive oil in a pan and sear off the chops...placed them in my dutch oven (for the space), put some beef broth in there...



Add slices of the provolone cheese...and put it in the oven (350 degrees) to finish off the chops...then to the onions and mushrooms...Saute them in the oil left over from the chops. Add some butter, and then this glorious balsamic vinegar...and reduce...reduce...

YUM...yummy...

I served it with sauteed cabbage that my beautiful daughter cooked...and some jasmine rice.



I was told...it was good!


Seared Pork Chops with Provolone, Balsamic Vinegar with Mushrooms and Onions

6-8 Pork Chops
2-3 onions, sliced (I did chop mine by accident)
1/2 small container of fresh white button mushrooms
4 tablespoons olive oil
provolone cheese slices - or any other smoked type white cheese
Herbs De Provence (basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, savory and rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup beef broth
2 pats of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour olive oil in a saute pan, sear off pork chops, place into a dutch oven, pour broth over chops. Place slices of the cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes (until pork is no longer pink).
In the meantime, add the onions and mushrooms to the oil. I add the Herbs De Provence (about 1 full tablespoons) to this mix. Sauteed until golden. Add in vinegar and reduce. Right before serving, add butter and stir. Serve with the pork chop down and spoon some broth over...then the mushrooms and onions.

Enjoy.

Cream Chicken with Tomato Raguot

Another night of "what to cook" for dinner...?

Well, searching through Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food cookbook, and I find:

Baked Chicken with eggplant, zucchini and tomato ragout...well, I don't have half of the items needed...so I will just wing it.

Saute the chicken, seasoned with coarse salt and pepper (I used rib-bone in chicken breasts) in olive oil. Remove from pan, set aside.

Chopped the onions, garlic, and rosemary (fresh). Cook until the onions are translucent. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 2 glasses of white wine. Simmer and reduce by half.



Add chicken back into the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream, and 1/2 block of cream cheese (mix together so it won't curdle when placed in the hot sauce). Simmer for 15-20 minutes more and serve over rice.




I also, cooked carrots...just simmered sweet. Yum.



Recipe below. Enjoy!

Cream Chicken and Tomato Ragout

3 chicken breasts with rib bone
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions - chopped
4 sprigs of rosemary chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tablespoons of parsley
2 glasses of white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 brick (small) cream cheese
1 cup of heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute chicken in the olive oil until soft brown, remove and set aside. Place in chopped onions, garlic, rosemary in remaining olive oil, simmer until translucent. Add in white wine and tomatoes, reduce by half. Add chicken back into pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add in cream cheese and heavy cream, cook an additional 15-20 minutes more. Serve over rice or noodles.

Carrots

3 pounds of regular carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
water

Place in a pot, water to cover, simmer until done al dente.

Yummy.

Enjoy!

Yard...the jungle

Well, it took a friend coming from Alabama to say that our yard was turning into a jungle, for us to do something about it.

Me, well, I am not allowed to do a lot. I try to follow those rules. Arguments would occur. It is really a better marriage if this does not occur. So...

We cut back expenses in the winter months, and let go our wonderful yard man, Mr. Nuebauer. He took care of everything, weed and feed, trimming the trees and bushes, edging the yard, and caring for the grass. We have maintained mowing once...maybe twice. But all of the weeds have taken over, and I couldn't really say anything (see above).

So...one picture of before:

So...my wonderful husband, David and our children Carmen and Stephen went to work...Embarrassed I believe.

Stephen mowed. This was his second time mowing. Much better this time. We tried to get him to watch where he had already mowed, and to look for spots that needed to be redone.

Carmen weeded with David. She also took care of the racking of the oak leaves in the back, and helping with the planting of the Vincas.

David. Dug up dead bushes, weeded the flower bed closest to the house, and then planted the Vincas (when I got tired).


And the partial results:

This was a blank spot from the driveway in between the sidewalk...and drive.
I planted these flowers, and then watered.




It still needs a ton of work...but we are on way.
It was fun doing it as a family. It was nice sitting in the shade, watching my loveys do what I bid. I love cleaning, and growing...taking pride in our home.

So, no longer a jungle...we are on our way to having a beautiful yard again.

Fishing...

David has decided to try fishing.

It really is complicated. A rod, line, lures or bait, and of course, fish.

I enjoyed a nice Sunday morning at church, then home for lunch and relaxing on the dock.

We took Dexter. He seems to enjoy the birds flying by.

Although it was a nice afternoon on the dock, it did not produce any fish. The water was murky, it was overcast, and was supposed to rain. It didn't.

Humpf. No fish tonight.

Actually, the only thing David did catch was the Wal-Mart bag that blew off of the dock. He could only retrieve it with the hook. ha.

It was a nice afternoon.

I love just sitting and watching my baby, enjoy trying something new.

I love just sitting on this dock.

White Beans & Ham

After thinking that I was supposed to be cooking chicken-and-dumplings (forgetting to lay out the chicken), I remembered that I had the leftover ham bone and meat from Easter dinner. Carmen volunteered to go to the store (Wal-Mart), and returned with the needed green bell pepper, and purple onion.

So, I made white beans and ham. Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic, add the northern white beans, chicken stock, and two bay leaves. Yummy.


There is barely enough for tomorrow.

Recipe:

White Beans & Ham
1 package of Northern White Beans (16 oz.) rinsed
1 large chicken stock
Leftover ham (bone preferred)
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1 whole green bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion, pepper, and garlic until translucent. Add beans, stock, ham, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, and simmer for at least 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add water to keep consistency of a broth.
Enjoy.

Stephen's Spring Cotillion

Stephen has been attending Cotillion classes since the beginning of fall 2008. He has attended several dance classes, and some etiquette classes.

He enjoys getting dressed up. It is so much easier for a boy than a girl. For Carmen, hair, nails, dress, shoes...etc.

Stephen changed his tie. Precious.

Sticks

Stephen has had a pocket knife for over a year. I have not let him do anything with it...

Until yesterday, (Easter Sunday) when he came to me once again wanting to whittle. Well, he found a stick that was worthy...and off he went ...to the porch, and spent the next 4 hours trying to make a kayak (miniature).

He did get his thumb sliced...small slice (just enough blood to wipe it on his shirt). After placing a band aid on that spot, he was back to work.



Not more than this has been accomplished! So...another day hopefully, he will have it finished.

Asparagus

Asparagus...
Easter Sunday menu of baked ham (spiral cut with a honey glaze), roasted potatoes, and roasted asparagus.
This blogging thing is new to me (and to my family) , and I forgot, once again, to take photos.
But...Yum.

I love asparagus.

2 bunches asparagus (washed, and snapped)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
cracked salt & pepper to taste
Oven at 400 degrees.
Roast for 12-15 minutes.
Yum.

Roasted Potatoes

2-3 pounds of red potatoes (washed, and quartered)
1-2 olive oil
fresh rosemary (I use 3 twigs) remove leaves, and finely chop
Salt and pepper to taste
Oven at 400 degrees - roast until brown and crispy (I do shake about 1/2 thru cooking)
about 30-35 minutes depending on how large your potatoes are.

Enjoy!

Tomatoes, Part One

Tomatoes. I grew up with 3 or 4 rows of tomatoes (my parents garden). I hated picking them, helping to process them for canning...anything to do with them.

So, after 20 years of buying canned tomatoes, and after hearing from friends the benefits of growing them in pots....have decided to grow two of my own.

Hopefully, with the right tending...I will have plenty of tomatoes for a salad or two...and maybe enough to can several batches.

Now, to find a blog or two about canning!